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Agenda Report
January 26, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Michele Beal Bagneris, City Attorney
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE CITY ATTORNEY TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO CITlf CONTRACT NO. 33137 WITH OIR GROUP LLC FOR
INDEPENDENT POLICE AUDITOR SERVICES, TO INCREASE THE
NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT BY $350,000 AND EXTEND THE
CONTRACT TERM BY TWO YEARS
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find that the action proposed herein is not a "project" subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 21065 and within the meaning of Section 15378(b); and
2. Authorize the City Attorney to execute an amendment to city contract 33137 with OIR Group, LLC for independent police auditor services, to increase the contract amount by $350,000, and to extend the contract term by two years.
3. To the extent this could be considered a separate procurement subject to the Competitive Selection Process, it is recommended that the City Council grant the contract an exemption pursuant to Pasadena Municipal Code (PMC) Section
4.08.049(B), contracts for which the City's best interests are served.
BACKGROUND:
On October 5, 2020, the City Council adopted an ordinance creating the Community Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) and establishing the position of Independent Police Auditor (IPA). That ordinance requires that the City Attorney "retain and administer" an IPA who reports to the City Council. The IPA's duties include, among other things, serving as a best-practices advisor to the Commission, reviewing categorical uses of force by Pasadena Police Department officers, reviewing investigations of personnel complaints ofbias-based policing, and recommending changes to PPD policies, procedures, or officer training. To perform these duties, the ordinance grants the IPA with "unimpeded access" to various PPD personnel records, MEETING OF.1/26/2026AGENDA ITEM NO.6
Authorization to Amend Contract No. 33137
January 26, 2026
and the authority to subpoena records (with the exception of personnel records), and witnesses (with the exception of City employees).
After receiving notice that the previous I PA, Richard Rosenthal, PhD, intended to retire, a Request for Proposals was issued in September 2024. A panel consisting of staff from the City Manager's Office and the City Attorney's Office, along with outgoing IPA Richard Rosenthal, PhD, reviewed and scored the 12 proposals received. Evaluation criteria included qualifications, relevant experience, pricing, and status as a local Pasadena business or small/micro-business. The top eight proposers were interviewed by the CPOC's Ad Hoc Committee on IPA Selection, which then referred the top three candidates to the City Council's IPA Ad Hoc Committee for final interviews.
Both Ad Hoc Committees recommended OIR Group LLC, citing the firm's extensive experience and the strong qualifications of its lead representative, Teresa Magula. OIR Group LLC has provided oversight sen/ices to public entities since 2001, including reviews of three critical incidents in Pasadena. Ms. Magula is a former Special Investigator for the Los Angeles Police Department's Office of Inspector General, which investigates allegations of misconduct and uses offeree. Ms. Magula also works with the U.S. and California Departments of Justice as a monitor and subject-matter expert on use-of-force and accountability systems. She has conducted operational and policy reviews of various law enforcement agencies and is the lead Independent Police Auditor for the cities of Eureka, Santa Cruz, and Las Cruces (New Mexico).
Over the past year, Ms. Magula has formed excellent working relationships with the CPOC, the Pasadena Police Department, and City staff. Among other accomplishments, Ms. Magula has issued reports on vehicle pursuits, categorical use of force incidents, and conducted a review of an officer-involved shooting.She is beginning a review of responses to behavioral health incidents and continues to serve as a best-practices advisor to the CPOC.
At its December 11, 2025 meeting, the CPOC unanimously voted (with one absence) to recommend that the City Council extend the contract with OIR Group LLC, with Ms.
Magula acting as the IPA.
Staff recommends that the City Council extend the Independent Police Auditor contract with OIR Group LLC for an additional two years, at twice the amount allocated for the previous year ($175,000), resulting in an additional $350,000 and a total cost not to exceed $525,000.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
The proposed action is consistent with the City Council's Strategic Planning Goal of ensuring public safety.
Authorization to Amend Contract No. 33137
January 26, 2026
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The proposed contract is exempt from CEQA per section 15061(b)(3), the General Rule. The General Rule can be applied when it can be seen with certainty that the activity will not have a significant effect on the environment. The proposed action is for a contract for the Independent Police Auditor, which will not result in any physical changes to the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended action will not increase the City Attorney/City Prosecutor's Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget, as funds are still available for the remainder of the current fiscal year. The remaining funding needs will be discussed as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget related to the Community Police Oversight Commission.
Respectfully submitted,
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Michele BealBagneri?//
City Attorney/City Pi(os6cutor
Prepared by:
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Shannon Prior
Principal Administrative Analyst